End loading, top opening carton



March 16, 1965 s. M. slLvER END LoADNG, TOP OPENING CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1965 FIG.6

INVENTOR. sTAN M. SILVER rToRNEY March 16, 1965 s. M. SILVER ENO LOADING, TOP OPENING CARTON as sheets-sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1965 INVENTOR. STAN M. SILVER y ATTORNEY March 16, 1965 s. M. SILVER END LOADING, TOP OPENING CARTON 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 14, 1965 INVENTOR.

STAN M. SILVER ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,173,599 END LOADING, TOP PENING CARTN Stan M. Silver, 25 Central Park W., New York, NX. Filed May 14, 1963, Ser. No. 280,395 15 Claims. (Cl. 229-33) The present invention relates to a carton; particularly to a carton of the type used for display-packaging of individual items, as cakes or pastries at a central point of production for distribution to andv at various retail outlets; such carton being generally known as a cake box.

Cake boxes heretofore used have been of two general types. One type may be described as end loaded. Such end loaded boxes are generally irst set up automatically in tubular form; are then mechanically automatically loaded from one end, at relatively high speed, and mechanically automatically sealed, on a continuous, production line basis. Such boxes have advantages for the producer or baker of low cost and rapid and economical automatic loading and sealing; but present disadvantages for the consumer. They are opened only from an end by the separation of the end wall forming dust flaps and panels from one another. This way of opening the box makes possible its collapse at one end. Also, with such boxes it is impossible to take a portion of the cake or pastry it contains without removal of the entire article. Finally, replacement of the removed article, after partial use, is difficult, because the aps and panels at the opened end tend to fold inwardly and to partially close the opening formed at that end and such ilaps and panels scrape the surface of the article being reinserted, making a great mess where the article has a surface that is decorated or iced.

The second type of cake box of the prior art may be designated as top loaded. Such top loaded box must be fully set up before loading to produce an open top container portion and a cover, and is then manually loaded from the open top, and then closed and sealed. This box has the advantages of a hinged cover that may be opened for removal of the box contents and may be reclosed, and of permitting removal of part of the contents while inV the box, Without disturbing the remainder. While these features afford convenience for the consumer, such top loaded boxes present disadvantages for the producer or baker. These top loaded boxes are considerably costlier to produce than the end loaded boxes; they require pregluing before loading and gluing after loading and the loading operation must be manually performed, so that loading and sealing are relatively much slower and a great deal costlier.

It is the general object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a carton or cake box of the character described which possesses all of the advantages of the above types of the prior art cartons or cake boxes and eliminates all of their above' disadvantages and drawbacks.

It is, thus, one object of the present invention to provide a carton or cake box, of the character described, which may be end loaded and top opened and may be produced at practically no advance in cost over the end loaded and end opened cartons of the prior art.

lt is also an object of the present invention to provide an end loaded and top opened carton of the character described, which may be mechanically automatically set up, loaded and sealed, in a continuous process, on the same machinery and equipment and with the same gluing sequence as the end loading and end opening cartons of the prior art, and at the same rapid( rate.

It is another object of the present invention toprovide an end loaded top, opened carton, of the character described, having a full-sized top cover that may be easily and conveniently opened and reclosed and which permits "ice the cutting and removal of part of its contents, directly therefrom, without disturbing the remainder of such contents.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a carton of the character described which is strong and sturdy and will not collapse when opened.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a carton of the character described, having a cover that fully encloses its container portion on three sides to thereby rigidfy and strengthen it for shipping and storing.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the carton of the present invention willv become more readily apparent -to those skilled in the art from the several embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiments are shown for purposes of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a plan View of a cardboard blank for forming one embodiment of a carton of the present invention; broken across to indicate indeterminate size;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the blank after a rst folding and gluing and in condition for shipping to a point of loading;

FIG. 3 is an insometric view of the folded and glued blank of FIG. 2, set up in carton form, with one end unsealed;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, isometric View of one front corner of the fully set up and sealed carton; partly broken away to show details of arrangement of parts;

FIG. 6 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 6 6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view, on a reduced scale, of the carton of FIGS. l to 6, shown in opened position;

FIG. 8 is' a plan view of a fragmentary portion of a modified form of cardboard blank for forming another embodiment of a carton of the invention;

FIG. 9 is an isometric View of a full blank of FIG. 8, after a first gluing and folding and in condition for shipping to a point of loading;

FIG. l0 is an isometric view of the folded and glued blank of FIG. 8 set up in carton form, with one end unsealed;

FIG. ll is a fragmentary, isometric View of one rear corner of the fully set up and sealed carton of FIG. 8; partly broken away to show details of arrangements of parts;

FIG. l2 is a section taken on line 12-12 of FIG. 1l; and

FIG. 13 is an isometric View on a reduced scale, of the opened carton of the blank of FIG. 8.

Referring in greater detail to the accompanying drawings, and with particular reference to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7 thereof, they show a carton formed of a unitary, rectangular cardboard blank which is cut and scored to provide a front receptacle panel, 29, a bottom receptacler panel, 21, a rear panel 22, a top or cover panel, 23, and a front overlap or cover panel, 24; such panels being respectively defined from one another by the scored fold lines, 25, 26, 27 and 2S.

The front panel 29 is provided with a foldable dust ap, 29, at each end edge thereof, and the bottom receptacle panel 21 is provided with an end wall panel, 30, at each end edge thereof. Each end wall panel 3h is formed with an approximately rectangular cut-out, 31, at its free forward corner and has its free rear corner cut away, preferably along a diagonal line, to provide a slanting edge,

3 32, extending from the vend of fold line 25 to the outer edge of the end wall panel.

Rear panel 22 is provided with a foldable dust flap, 33, at each end; each such dust ap u33 having its free forward corner cut away, preferably also along a diagonal line, to provide a slanting edge, 34,'extending from the end of fold line 26 to the rear edge of the flap 33. The

angles formed by edges 32 and 34 tothe lines of junc-y tion of their respective panel and flap Vto the end edges of the panels 21 and 32 comprise complementary portions of an angle not exceeding 90, so that they form a miter when juxtaposed.

Top panel 23 isprovided with an end Wall panel, 35,-at

each end edge thereof, and may, if desired, be 'provided with a center display cut-out, 36, which may be covered by a transparency, in the conventional manner.

. Front overlap or front cover panel 24, may be formed with a tear away line, 37,`at a distance from and preferably parallel to fold line 28, to provide a tear away glue flap 38, and the portion of panel 24 between the fold line 28 and the tear line 37 is provided with a dust Hap, 39, at each end which is of a size and shape to fit within the cut-out 31 of the end wall panels 30 of the bottom receptacle panel 21.

The blank of FIG. 1, after being formed, is first folded along fold line 25, to dispose panel 20 over panel `21, and then along fold line 27, to dispose panel 23 over panel 22 and part of panel Z1, and panel 24 over panel 20; the glue strip 38 of panel 24 having been previously glue-coated on its inner surface, so as to adhere to the surface of the lower or inner portion of panel 20. Preferably, such surface portion of panel 20 may have previously been printed over with aglue-repellant coating in a design to leave unprinted glue accepting islands, 40, whose peripheries may be die cut through the outer liner of the cardboard, in'l a manner well known in the art, to

permit ready and easy separation ofI the glue strip 38 with Y 'f islands 40 from both, panel 24 and 'panel 20: .In this flat-folded and glued state (FIG. 2), the blank may be shipped or stored for later use. y f

At the bakery plant, the Hat-folded andglued blank may be set up upon continuous, mechanical, automatic loading andvsealing equipment of any type now used for the loading and sealing of end loaded and end opening cartons, by which the carton is first squared-up, then loaded, and then glued and sealed. In sealing the ends of the carton (one of which may be sealed before loading or both after loading, depending on the type of equipment used) aps 29, 33 and 39 are first inwardly folded over the open end; with aps 39 each overlying the upper corner of the adjacent ap 29. Glue is then applied to the outer lsurface of each flap 39 and 33 and to the exposed outer surface portion of each of aps 29.V Panels 30 are' then each upended to have its front end portion adhesively secured to the exposed portion of adjacent flap 29. Because of the mitered corner at the rear of each panel 30 and adjacent yflap 33,-each such panel and flap will lie in a common plane. each panel 30, each dust flap 39 willfbe disposed in a cut-out 31 and will also lie in a common plane with a panel 30 and will be exposed so that when panel 35 is then folded downwardly, its forward end will lie against panelv 30 without being spaced therefrom by any thickness of cardboard and will adhesively engage panel 39 and its rear end will overlie and be'secured to the adjacent flap 33.

It will be clear that the setup and sealed cartonof 4 f release the cover portion from the receptaclerportion for opening and reclosing, as desired,

In the carton embodiment of FIGS.`8 to 13, inclusive, the receptacle portion as Well as lthe cover portion are each provided withV an individual rear wall section which is adhesively'secured tothe adjacent end wallpanels thereof. This is effected by modifying Ithe carton blank by providing the rear panel, 2.2, at a midpoint thereof, with a fold line, 45, extendingfrom end to end, to dene an upper rear panel section, 22a and a lower -rear panel section, 2lb. Theupper rear panel section 22a,

may preferably project lbeyond each end of the lower panel section 22b a distance equal approximately theY thickness of the cardboard blank. n Each of rear panel sections 22a and 22b has an individual end flap, 33a and 33b, respectively, formed by a cut line, 46, coextensive with the fold line and extending Vacross flap 33. A cut-out, 47,V of a size and shape `to accommodate therein a dustflapysection 22a, is cutout from the free rear corner of each wall end panel 30.

In sealing the ends of a carton of FIGS. 8 to 13 (which may be done on the same equipment'as the first described embodiment of FIGS. 1-7), dust flaps 33a and 33h are inwardly folded at theY same :time as flaps 29 and flaps 39, or immediately thereafter, and before the upending of panels 30, and are each adhesively coated Because of the cut-out portion 31 of FIGS. 1 Ito 7, inclusive, will have a receptacle portion i that has upstanding, adhesivelyk connected front and end walls and a cover portionhavingadhesively connected front, end and rear walls, lwith its front and `end walls' hinge on 4ltheir outer surface. When panels k30 are then upended they will each'adhere, A'by the portion thereof immediately below its cut out 47, to the lower dust flap-33b, as well as by its forward end to a dust flap 29. Dust flaps 33a willeach t into `therjadjacent cut out 47 and lieA in a common plane with the end'panel 30 and with a ilap 39, so that when panels 35 are downwardly folded each'will become adhesively secured toga dust flap 33a as well as to a dust flap f39. It may here be stated that the adhesive, instead of being lapplied to lthe-y dust flaps, may be applied to the end wall panels. f` f s It ,will be clear that the last `describedvembodiment of theinvention provides a carton in `which both, Vthe' hinged lby its relatively short rear wall lto the short rear wall of they receptacle portion and whose other upright walls may wholly overlap and reinforce the correspond-` ing Walls ofy the receptacle portion.l

It will be noted that, in sealing the ends of the cartons of the present invention, there is no way of providing inner resistance to the inward folding of the dust flap and dust ap sections, such as would be necessary to cause their continuous and positive contact with the end Vwall panel to which they are` to be secured to..assure adhesive Contact between them. To compensate for the lack of such inner resistance,-the fold lines 50, 51 and 52 defining Vllaps 29 and ap sections 33 and 39,from their respective panels, are feebly scoredso that whileysuch feeble score lines provide suflicient guidance forfolding, and they provide suicient resistance to inward folding tor maintain the naps in positive contact with the end wall panels to which they .aresecured duringthe `sealing operation. Such feeble scorelines may be provided by skip-scoring; namely, by fold lines that are formed by a series.. of alined short score lines spaced by unscored areas, as indicated in FIG.l l of ther drawing. 1

This completes the description of the several embodiments of the carton of the -presentinventiom the blank t from which theyV may be formed, and the mannerin which they maybe set-up, loaded and sealed and opened. kIt Will'be'readily iappzzlrentthatV such cartons affordy maximum'economy for the manufacturer or baker in their `production, and rapid, automatic loading and sealing;

greatrigidity and strength for the shipping and storing of the loaded cartons;,and maximum ease and conven- 5,. ience for the consumer because of the easy opening and' reclosing of the top cover, and easy and convenient' acl cess to the carton contents.

It will alsorbe readily apparent that numerous modifications and variations may be made in the cartons of the invention by any ones skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention'hereinabove setforth and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity; If desire, therefore, the protection of the patent laws for any and all such modifications and variations that may be made within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. A carton formed of a unitary foldable cardboard blank cut and scored to provide front, bottom, rear and cover panels and a front overlap panel at the end of said cover panel, an end wall panel at each end edge of each said bottom wall and cover panels, each said end wall panel of said bottom wall panel having portions of its forward and rear free corners cut away, a dust flap at each end edge of said front panel, a dust fiap at each end edge of said rear wall panel of a size and shape to lit within the cut-away portion at the adjacent free rear corner of said bottom wall panel end wall panel, and a dust flap section at each end edge of said front overlap panel adapted to fit within the cut-away portion of the adjacent free forward corner of said bottom wall panel end wall panel, said dust flaps inwardly folded, with the dust iiap section at each end of said front overlap panel overlying the adjacent dust flap of said front wall panel, said end wall panels of said bottom wall panel each inwardly folded and lying in the plane of the adjacent of the inwardly folded dust flap sections of said front overlap panel and said rear wall panel and adhesively secured to the adjacent dust flap of said `front wall panel, said cover panel end Wall panels each offset to overlie the adjacent end Wall panel of said bottom wall panel and adhesively secured to the adjacent dust flap sections of said front overlap panel and said rear panel.

2. The carton of claim l, wherein said carton blank is provided with readily releasable means for securing said front overlap panel to said front wall panel.

3. The carton of claim 1, wherein said front overlap panel of said blank is provided with a tear-away glue strip adhesively secured to said front wall panel.

4. The carton of claim l, wherein said cut-away portions at said rear corners of said bottom wall panel end wall panels are each of triangular shape and cut on a ine extending from its inner corner to its outer edge and said dust fiap section of said rear wall panel are each of triangular shape and adapted to fit within the adjacent of said cut-away corner portions.

5. The carton of claim l, wherein a scored fold line for outward folding is formed across said rear wall panel to define an upper rear wall panel portion and a lower rear wall cover panel portion, said dust flap sections engaged by said end wall panels extending from the end edges of said upper rear wall panel portion, and wherein dust liap sections are provided at each end of said lower rear wall panel portion, said last named dust flaps each inwardly folded and adhesively secured to the inner face of the adjacent end wall panel of said bottom wall panel.

6. The Carton of claim l, wherein the said dust flaps and said dust flap sections are defined from said panels by weakly scored fold lines.

7. The carton of claim 1, wherein said dust aps and said dust flap sections are defined from said panels by scored fold lines comprising intermittent aligned short lines of scoring.

8. A folding blank for a carton of the character described, comprising a substantially rectangular section of cardboard having a front wall panel, a bottom wall panel, a rear wall panel and a top wall panel and a front wall overlap panel at the end of said rear Wall panel, said panels defined from one another by scored fold e. lines, anv end` wall panel at each end of saidv bottom wall: panel and" at each end of said cover panel, defined from saidv bottom wall and cover panels by scored' fold lines; the end wall panels ofV said bottom wall panel each having aY portion of eachy of its ffree corners cut away, a'v dust fiap' at each end' of said front' wall panels defined therefrom by a; scored:v fold line, a dust flap sec'- tion at` each end of saidv front' overlap` panel' conforming in size and shape t0 the cut-away portion of the forward corner of the end wall panel of said bottom wall panel, and a dust flap section at each end of said rear wall panel conforming in shape and size to the rear cut-away corner portion of said end wall panel of said bottom wall panel, said dust flaps and said dust ap sections, defined by scoredfold lines from their respective front, rear, and front overlap panels.

9. The carton blank of claim 8, wherein said dust flaps and dust flap sections are each defined from their respec tive front wall panel, rear wall panel and front overlap panel by feebly scored fold lines.

l0. The carton blank of claim 9, wherein said feebly scored fold lines comprise intermittent, aligned short score line sections.

l1. The carton blank of claim l, wherein said cutaway portion at the rear corner of said end Wall panel of said bottom wall panel is of triangular shape and extending on a diagonal line from the fold line defining said end wall panel from said bottom wall panel to its outer edge.

12. The carton blank of claim 1, wherein a scored fold line extends across said rear wall panel defining an upper rear wall portion and a lower rear wall portion, said rear panel dust flap sections each connected to said upper rear panel portion, and wherein a second dust ap section is connected to each end of said lower rear wall portion.

13. An end-loaded, topopening carton, comprising front, bottom, rear, and cover panels, a flap extension on said cover panel overlying said front panel, means securing said flap extension to said front panel, and tearaway means on said fiap extension for releasing said extension from said front panel, a dust flap at each end of said front and rear panels, a tab extension at each end of said cover panel flap extension overlying the adjacent front panel dust flap in sliding relation thereto, an end panel at each end of said bottom panel secured to the adjacent of said dust flaps of said front panel, said end panel having a cut-out portion fitting around the adjacent of said tab extensions, and an end panel at each end of said cover panel, secured to the adjacent of said tab extensions, and at least a discrete portion of the adjacent dust flap of said rear panel and slidable over the adjacent of said bottom panel end panels.

14. An end-loaded, topopening carton, comprising front, bottom, rear, and cover panels, a flap extension 0n said cover panel overlying said front panel, means securing said flap extension to said front panel, and tearaway means on said flap extension for releasing said extension from said front panel, a dust flap at each end of said front and rear panels, a tab extension at each end of said cover panel fiap extension overlying the adjacent front panel dust flap in sliding relation thereto, an end panel at each end of said bottom panel secured to the adjacent of said dust flaps of said front panel, said end panel having a cut-out portion fitting around the adjacent of said tab extensions, and an end panel at each end of said cover panel, secured to at least a discrete portion of the adjacent dust fiap of said rear panel a-nd slidable over the adjacent of said bottom panel end panels.

l5. An end-loaded, top-opening carton, comprising front, bottom, rear and cover panels, a flap extension on said cover panel overlying said front panel, means securing said flap extension to said front panel, and tearaway means 0n said flap extension for releasing said ex- 7 tension from said front panel, a dustap at` eaehendV of said front and rear panels, a tab vextension 'atV each end of said cover panel ap extension overlying the ad-V jacent front panel dust flap insliding relation thereto,

an end panel lat each end of said bottom panel secured 5 to the 'adjacent of said dust aps of said frontparnel, said end panel having a cut-out portionV tting around the adjacent of said tab extensions, and an end panel atI each end of said A.cover panel, secured to .the `adjacent of saidtab extensions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITEDA STATES PATENTS 1,072,487 9/13 f Morton 229-33 1,143,745 6/15 Bloomer` Q--- 229-33 FRANKLIN T. GARRETI, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CARTON FORMED OF A UNITARY FOLDABLE CARDBOARD BLANK CUT AND SCORED TO PROVIDE FRONT, BOTTOM, REAR AND COVER PANELS AND A FRONT OVERLAP PANEL AT THE END OF SAID COVER PANEL, AN END WALL PANEL AT EACH END EDGE OF EACH SAID BOTTOM WALL AND COVER PANELS, EACH SAID END WALL PANEL OF SAID BOTTOM WALL PANEL HAVING PORTIONS OF ITS FORWARD AND REAR FREE CORNERS CUT AWAY, A DUST FLAP AT EACH END EDGE OF SAID FRONT PANEL, A DUST FLAP AT EACH END EDGE OF SAID REAR WALL PANEL OF A SIZE AND SHAPE TO FIT WITHIN THE CUT-AWAY PORTION AT THE ADJACENT FREE REAR CORNER OF SAID BOTTOM WALL PANEL END WALL PANEL, AND A DUST FLAP SECTION AT EACH END EDGE OF SAID FRONT OVERLAP PANEL ADAPTED TO FIT WITHIN THE CUT-AWAY PORTION OF THE ADJACENT FREE FORWARD CORNER OF SAID BOTTOM WALL PANEL END WALL PANEL, SAID DUST FLAPS INWARDLY FOLDED, WITH THE DUST FLAP SECTION AT EACH END OF SAID FRONT OVERLAP PANEL OVERLYING THE ADJACENT DUST FLAP OF SAID FRONT WALL PANEL, SAID END WALL PANELS OF SAID BOTTOM WALL PANEL EACH INWARDLY FOLDED AND LYING IN THE PLANE OF THE ADJACENT OF THE INWARDLY FOLDED DUST FLAP SECTIONS OF SAID FRONT OVERLAP PANEL AND SAID REAR WALL PANEL AND ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE ADJACENT DUST FLAP OF SAID FRONT WALL PANEL, SAID COVER PANEL END WALL PANELS EACH OFFSET TO OVERLIE THE ADJACENT END WALL PANEL OF SAID BOTTOM WALL PANEL AND ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE ADJACENT DUST FLAP SECTIONS OF SAID FRONT OVERLAP PANEL AND SAID REAR PANEL. 